Spark-arrester.



PATBNTBD DEG; 25 1906.

J. LQPBPPER.. SPARK ARRESTBR.

'APPLIUATION FILED APR. 301906.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEroE.

; JASPER L. PEPPER, OE BUTLER, INDIANA.

SPARK-ARRESTER.

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, JASPER L. PEPPER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing atButler, in the county of Dekalb, in the State of Indiana, have invented certain new and usefulV Improvements in Spark-Arresters; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,

1 clear, and exact description of the invention,

which will enable others skilled in the art to whi ch it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form `part of this specification. f My invention relates to improvements in spark arresters for steam engines specially designed and adapted for traction-engines.

It is Well known that the attempt to pre-y vent thedestructive'effects of escaping sparks from the smoke-stack of steam-engines, particularly of traction-engines for threshing and the like, by means of spark-arresting screens has not been either satisfactory or successful, forthe reason that when the meshes of the screens are sufficientl fine to properly arrest the smaller sparks t 1e draft of the smoke-- with the forward end of the boiler-tubesand the base ofthe smoke-stack as to permit a free and unobstructed draft, while at the same time substantially all live sparks are arrested and deposited in the spark-box of the extension-front of the boiler.

My invention consists of a novel arrangement of deflectors or baille-plates in the extension-front or spark-box ofthe engine-boiler in cooperative relation with the discharge end of the boiler-flues and beneath the lower end of the smoke-stack and adapted to direct the sparks to a receiving-compartment, where they are securely retained, instead of being permitted to escape through the smoke-stack.

Thev principal novel feature of my invention resides in the construction and coperative arrangement of the baffle-plates by which the sparks are directed to and deposited in the retaining-compartment.

Similar reference-numerals in the accomi Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 30, 1906. Serial No. 314,342.

Patented Dec. 25; 1906.

panying drawings indicate like parts in both the views', in which- FigureV 1 isa side elevation of the forward end of the steam-engine boiler, partly in longitudinal central section, showing the relative arrangement of the deflecting baflie-plates, also in vertical section. Fig. 2 is a front end elevation of the same with. the end door ofthe boiler removed and the annular strengthening-flange partly broken away to show the manner of securing the bafiie-plates at theirl ends. My invention is shown mounted in the extension-front of the tubular-boiler shell 1 of a common form of engine, the boiler having a common arrangement of boiler-tubes 2 with their forward ends secured, as usual, in the transverse flue-sheet 3. The extension-front has a proper boiler-head door 4 and the usual exhaust-pipe 5' and nozzle 6 communicating directly with and discharging into the lower end of the smoke-stack 7lfor the usual wellunderstood purpose.

At a properv point in the boiler extensionfront and to the opposite sides thereof are rigidly iixed'a plurality of upright plates 8, to whose inner face are rigidly fixed the transverse baffle-plates 9, having diverging sides of proper length and having their apex pointing rearwardly, as shown. These plates have their adjacent sides slightly separated to form throughout their length narrow transverse openings 10, to which. the live sparks as they are projected from the adj acent ends of the boiler-tubes 2 aredeflected by the inclined sides of the said plates and through which openings the sparks pass into the ycompartment or chamber 11, where they are deposited and retained. Directly beneath the lower edge of the. lowest of these baiiie-plates is arranged the forward edge of the concave shield or plate 18, whose rear end is rigidly fixed to the flue-sheet 3 just below the lower tier of the boiler-tubes, and whose forward end is so arranged below the lower baflie-plate as to leave a suitable transverse spark-opening 12 of substantially the same widthas the openings 10. 'At a proper point in the extension-front and slightly forward of and above these baffle-plates 9 is rigidly fixed a pendent transverse plate 13, having its lower edge provided with a rearwardly-extended concavo-convex transverse deiiectorplate 14, adapted to arrest such sparks as might escape upward at that point into the IOO smoke-stack and deiiect them into the de- VV posit-chamber 11. To the flue-sheet 3 at a point above the boiler-hues and approximately in about the same plane as the uppermost of the said baHie-plates is rigidly fixed a transverse horizontal deflector-plate 15, whose forward edge has a slight downward curve portion 16, whose forward edge is arranged in such a coperative relation with the rear edge of the deflector 14 that all sparks from the flues which have a tendency to fly upward to the rear of the deflector 14 are arrested and directed forward to the baffle-plate openings, as before described. The plate 15 may be further braced, strengthened, and secured by means of the cross-piece 17. The openings between the adjacent edges of the deflectors 14 and 16 and between the defleotor 14 and the adjacent baflie-plate 9 are of proper width.

The operation of my invention thus described is obvious and, briefly stated, is as follows: All such sparks as are projected downward are deflected forwardly by the plate 18 and directed through the opening 12 into the settling or deposit chamber 11. All sparks from the lues which are projected upwardly arearrested either by the deilector 16 or the opposite deflector 14, the two adjacent edges thereof being so arranged as to perform that function and at the same time leave a sufficient transverse opening to permit the smoke and gases of combustion to freely escape upward to the smoke-stack 7. The vertical side of the cross-piece 17 is preferably of sufficient height to aid in promptly directing the exhaust and the lighter products of com bustion to the lower end of the smoke-stack. It is thus evident that all the sparks of appreciable size and weight to hold fire even for a moment will be directed and deflected directly into the deposit-chamber 1 1 by means of the bae-plates 9, the deflectors 14 and 16, and the plate 18.

Having thus described my invention and the manner of employing the same, what l desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. A spark-arrester fixed in the forward extension of a boiler-shell, and consisting of a series of V-shaped baffle-plates in Vertical arrangement, having their apices rearwardly pointing and being separated by transverse openings as described; a pair of deflectorplates in cooperative arrangement with the upper one of said baffle-plates, and with each other; and a deflecting-plate in cooperative relation with the lower one of said plates.

2. A spark-arresting apparatus for the forward extension of a boiler-shell, consisting of a plurality of V-shaped baffle-plates in vertical alinement, and having their apices rearwardly pointing, and having their adjacent sides separated as shown at their forward edge; and means for directing the sparks to the baflie-plates without interfering with the escape of the smoke and gases of combustion.

3. In a spark-arrester for steam-engines the combination of a series of V-shaped baffle-plates in vertical arrangement having their apices rearward, and the forward adjacent edges of their sides separated to form transverse openings for the sparks; a curved deflector-plate above the said baffle-plates and in cooperative relation therewith; and a horizontally-arranged deflector-plate at the rear of the said baffle-plates, and in coperative relation with the said curved deiiectorplate.

Signed by me at Butler, Dekalb county, State of Indiana, this 28th day of April, A. l). 1906. y

JASPER L. PEPPER.

Witnesses CHARLES A. DAY, LULU E. BULMAHN. 

